Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB18/14/013 J

Address :
179 South Promenade ('Widows' Row') Newcastle Ballaghbeg Co Down BT33 0HA

Townland:
Ballaghbeg

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
11/07/1977 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
House - Terrace

Former Use
House - Terrace

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
255/15 SE

IG Ref:
J3817 2939

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

Small, picturesque two storey house, one of a terrace of 12 (‘Widows’ Row’), built in 1843. The terrace is set on the SW side of South Promenade at the southern extremity of Newcastle, and was built for the families of local fishermen who perished in a storm off the coast in January 1843. No.179 is set near the SE end of the terrace. The front (NE) façade has a timber sheeted door to the left on the ground floor. To the right of this is a window with modern frame. To the first floor right is a similar window set within a gabled half-dormer. The front façade is finished in ‘salt & pepper’ pebbledash render. To the rear there is a small, dilapidated single storey lean-to extension with corrugated asbestos roof, timber sheeted door and what appear to be modern windows. To the immediate NW of this is a single storey ‘shed’ with mono-pitched roof. This is stone built and also somewhat dilapidated, a large section of the roof having fallen in. The remainder of the roof is covered in natural slate. The upper portion of the main rear façade is blank and rendered as front. The gabled roof has an overhang(to front) and is covered in natural slate to the front and asbestos ‘slate’ to the rear. The rafter ends are exposed at front. Single rendered chimney stack (shared with neighbour to N). Mixture of cast iron rw goods. Low stone wall enclosing small garden to front.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

‘Widows’ Row’ was built in 1843 for the families of local fishermen who perished in a fierce storm off the coast in January of that year. In all 46 Newcastle men were drowned, leaving behind 27 widows, 118 orphans and 21 dependants. An appeal, and a substantial donation from the trustees of the Annesley Estate, raised enough money to build these 12 small houses, henceforth known as ‘Widows’ Row’. Each house originally consisted of two rooms, one to each floor, but in recent years most of the properties have been greatly enlarged with the addition of modern two storey extensions to the rear. References- Primary sources 1 PRONI D.1503 Annesley Papers. 2 PRONI OS/6/3/49/2 OS map, first rev., Co. Down 49. 3 PRONI Second (‘Griffith’s) valuation, Kilcoo, 1863. 4 PRONI VAL/12E/111/1 Valuation town plan of Newcastle, 1864-1906. 5 PRONI OS/8/136/1-4 OS plans of Newcastle, 1901. Secondary sources 1 Mourne Observer (1962) “Newcastle fishing disaster of 1843”. [Newspaper article- exact date of publication not known.] 2 P.J. Rankin, 'Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in the Mourne Area of South Down', (Belfast UAHS 1975), pp.74-76. 3 Grenfell Morton ‘Victorian and Edwardian Newcastle’ (Belfast 1988), pp.14-15.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion H-. Alterations detracting from building J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance X. Local Interest

Evaluation

One of a terrace ('Widows' Row') of 12 small, picturesque two storey houses built in 1843 for the dependants of local fishermen who drowned in a disaster of that year. Although the terrace has been substantially altered to the rear, as a whole it retains significant original character and detailing, including the gabled half-dormers to each dwelling, 'vernacular Georgian' multi-paned windows and the low stone boundary wall enclosing individual gardens to the front. While minor inappropriate works have been carried out to the front of this house, its essential external character, particularly to the rear, is retained.

General Comments

Date of Survey

22 November 1999